The Kolkata Knight Riders might be down and virtually out of the Indian Premier League but Australian great Steve Waugh said with the "resilient" Sourav Ganguly in the line-up, the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side could still bounce back.

Making a visit to the city in connection with Udayan, a rehabilitation home for children from leprosy colonies near Barrackpore which the Australian supports, Waugh backed the former India skipper saying the left-hander is a brilliant cricketer.

"Ganguly is a resilient cricketer and can bounce back anytime to lift his side's (Kolkata Knight Riders) fortunes in the IPL. After all, nothing can be said in cricket," Waugh told reporters during his visit to Udayan.

The 1999 World Cup winning captain, however, said Brendon McCullum was a good choice for leading the Shah Rukh Khan-owned side in IPL.

"Gayle was offered captaincy but he declined. Perhaps, Brendon was the automatic choice as he's very much active in international cricket," the 43-year-old Australian said.

Critics may have pointed fingers on Knight Riders director of cricket operations John Buchanan for the debacle, but Waugh supported his former coach.

"Buchanan is very good at team management, somebody like a professional manager who brings in unity to a side," he said.

Asked his opinion on multiple captaincy, an idea floated by Buchanan before naming McCullum as the sole skipper of the side, Waugh said, "I don't know about multiple captaincy, as till now we are only seeing the Kiwi (McCullum) lead the side."

Waugh also recalled Buchanan's strained relationship with spin legend Shane Warne. "John and Shane always treaded different ways. It was never that they exchanged Christmas greetings."

Warne is leading IPL team Rajasthan Royals by example, but Waugh was of the opinion that the leg-spinner should not be judged by his captaincy skills in Twenty20.

Asked whether Warne could have been a good skipper in Tests and ODIs, Waugh said, "Twenty20 and other forms of cricket are really different and should not be compared."

On the impact of Twenty20 cricket, the Australian said, "If I was 10 years younger, I also could have played T20."